Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-06-17

best of care. mind-while my wife and
l spent the season in town; it was a
duty she owed to society then as
ono of its brightest ornaments.
We heard that the boy was
not well; but we had no idea
that his illness was serious. Well
/ can scarcely speak of it even
now-the child died, after only two
days illness. away from US. 1t was on
her return from ball that nv wife
heard of it She sunk down into q
chair. dumb and shivering, without q
word or a tear When at last we sue
ceeded in rousing her from this state,
she took off her beautiful jewels-you
have heard she was an heiress-and
flung them from her with a shudder of
disgust. She has never looked at them
since.
He paused for a few minutes. and l
sat waiting for him to continue, too
much interested to say much.
Il hoped that the depression into
which she sunk would wear off; but,
instead. it only grew deeper. After her
boys death. my wife would never even
visit town again. When Mona was
born, l hoped she would reawaken to
interest in life. Instead of that, her
apathy deepened. until now, she raises
a barrier between herself and the life
around her which to strangers is often
insurmountable. l have been looking
for an opportunity to tell you this, Miss
Christie, as l was afraid you were
offended by her strange manner the
other day when you were reading to
her. When l came in. thought you
looked rather frightened, and / sup
posed that something you had read had
recalled her grief, and perhaps led to
one of those outbreaks which some
times cause me the gravest anxiety"
l understood what he meant; but /
would not allow myself to appear
alarmed by the suggestion. Mr.. Rayner
went on:
II fancied I caught sight of a wild
look in her eyes, which is sometimes
called VI in them by reference to the
past, or even by sudden vivid flash of
memory. At such times only l, with
the power of my long-tried affection,
can calm her instantly. Do not i'm
agine that she would ever be violent,
but she might be incoherent enough TO
brighten you. Tell me. had she said
anything that day before l came in
which alarmed or puzzled youp'
mo, Mr.. Rayner; she scarcely spoke
while l read to her."
''Was there anything in what you
were reading likely to call up mem
cries of the dreadful time to which
have alluded?"
II think not. No-none"
Il need not warn you, Miss Christie,
to avoid all reference to that subject in
talking to her. still hope she may
recover her former health and spirits,
and consent to move away from this
place for little change. have often
begged her to do so. but so far without
success. l can not bear to be harsh
with her, and there is an iron strength of
resistance in that woman of strong in
not overcome. But believe me that
underneath all she has a warm heart
still. And l am sure you will spare a
little sympathy for me, condemned to
see the wife l adore living a shut-up
life, as it were. seeming to ignore the
undying affection of which she must
still be conscious"
There was something so vim ng in
his voice and manner as he said these
last words that / felt for the moment
even more sorry for him than for her,
and took the hand he held out a he
rose to 60, and looked up with all the
frank sympathy felt. He seemed
touched by it, for, as if by sudden i'm
pulse. he stopped and let his lips lightly
touch my hand; then, pressing it once
more in his, with look of almost
grateful kindness, he left the room.
was little surprised by this demon
stration, which thought rather out OF
place to dependent. But he was an
impulsive man, the very opposite in all
things to his cold, statuesque wife, and
the union between them seemed some
times like bond between the dead and
: the living.
When l thought over all that he had
told me, after he had left the room, il
was impossible not to come to the con.
! clusion that the fault in this most un.
comfortable household was chiefly on
the side of Mrs. Rayner. 1 had never
seen a more attentive, long-sufferine
husband, nor a more coldly irritating
wife. Judged Mr.. Rayner to be so.
ciable man, fond of conversation and
society. 1t was true he often spoke
satirically of the society the neighbor.
hood afforded, and made me laugh by
his humorous descriptions. But fan.
cied that, dull as it might be, he would
have been glad of such society as there
was in the vicinity. and from the bit.
terness with which he laughed at the
, paltry pride of small country gentle
men, l imagined he must have beer
: snubbed by some OF them.
The first Sunday alter my arrival
/ was so wet that we could not 20 to
/ church, so that l had been there tort
, night before saw a general gathering
} of the inhabitants. But on the very
day previous to this event had an en-
counter with two of the ladies of thu
, neighborhOOd which left a most un
pleasant impression upon my mind
Haidee and were taking our morning
walk, when a big Newfoundland dOs
rushed through a gap in the hedge ant
frightened my poor little pupil so mucf
that she began to scream. Then f:
/ young girl of about fourteen or fifteen
to whom the dog belonged, came up t.
the hedge, and said that she was sorr,
he had frightened the child, but that hi
! would not hurt her. And she and |
J having soothed Haidee, exchanged :
little talk about the field and her do,
, before we parted, my pupil and l 60
ing on by the road while the girl re
, manned in the field. We were only
few steps away when heard the voic,
of another girl addressing her rathe
. sharply:
Who was that you were talking to
, Alice?"
The answer was given in a lowe
voice.
: "Well," the other went on. ''yo
should not have spoken to her. Don
you know she comes from the house o.
. the marsh?''
. To be continued.
A BILL granting municipal suffrag
, to single women and widows in Copper
: hagen passed the Danish Folkethin
(oc,,;volopt ~ onr Houca of Ranr.